If White South African adults with metabolic syndrome eat a handful of cashews every day for two months, their blood sugar levels go up slightly, but other markers show their overall sugar control hasn’t really gotten worse.

What we've found so far suggests that daily cashew nut consumption may have a minor effect on blood sugar levels in White South African adults with metabolic syndrome, but does not appear to meaningfully worsen overall blood sugar control over a two-month period [1]. Our analysis of the available research shows that when this specific group eats a handful of cashews each day for eight weeks, there is a slight increase in blood sugar levels [1]. However, the evidence indicates that other markers used to assess long-term sugar control remain stable, which suggests the body may still be managing blood sugar effectively despite the small rise [1]. It’s important to note that the data we’ve reviewed comes from a single assertion based on what is described as 48.0 supporting studies—though we cannot verify the nature, quality, or design of these studies from the information provided [1]. No studies in our current review have refuted this finding [1]. Because all the evidence we’ve analyzed so far focuses only on White South African adults with metabolic syndrome, we cannot say whether these findings apply to other populations or groups with different health backgrounds. Also, we don’t have data beyond two months, so the longer-term effects remain unclear. Our current analysis does not allow us to determine whether eating cashews daily is harmful or beneficial for blood sugar regulation—it only shows a slight upward trend in levels without evidence of broader deterioration in control [1]. Practical takeaway: If you're a South African adult with metabolic syndrome, eating a handful of cashews every day might cause a small increase in blood sugar, but it doesn’t seem to throw your overall sugar management off track in the short term.